WEDNESDAY, 4.30PM
SOMALI warlords meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo have agreed to sety up an interim government in their strife-torn country and are expected to sign a formal pact later this week, participants in the discussion said. Somalia has not had a government in six years, and has since been ruled by regional warlords and their militias.
The rival factions on Tuesday moved out of a five-star Cairo hotel, where they have been meeting since November 12, and into an Egyptian armed forces building to hammer out their agreement away from media attention.
Taking part in the talks are representatives of the 26-faction Somali National Salvation Council (NSC) and key warlords Hussein Mohammad Aidid of the United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance (USC/SNA) and Ali Mahdi Mohammad of the NSC-allied Somali Salvation Alliance.
Egypt, in close cooperation with the Cairo-based Arab League, sponsored the reconciliation meeting which began on November 12. Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel Meguid expressed his satisfaction and optimism that a solution to restore peace and stability in Somalia is near.
Somalia has been without a government since the overthrow of dictator Mohammad Siad Barre in 1991.